Portsmouth switch to EasyPark good news for Dover Devices will work in either city for users

Thursday

Dec 27, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By Michelle Kingstonmkingston@fosters.com

PORTSMOUTH — EasyPark users can soon add an additional city to their transponders.

Portsmouth signed its contract with the provider, OTI America, last week, and is targeting to be online by the end of January, according to Dover’s Parking Manager Bill Simons.

The city is trying to integrate the garage into the system and is working to allow iPark users to transfer their funds to EasyPark within the coming weeks.

“Once Portsmouth is online, Dover customers will be able to add them to their software,” Simons said. “This is done just how they transfer funds to the device. For people who aren’t reloading, but want to add Portsmouth, they just need to reconnect to their computers.”

The EasyPark system, unlike iPark, is a multitown meter-free parking product, making it a more attractive device to the cities requiring paid parking.

“Sales were steady in Dover last week,” Simons said. “We’ve sold over 70 units already.”

According to Simons, the town of Durham has expressed interest in the transponders and Concord and Manchester are going to view how residents react to the system in Portsmouth and Dover before making the decision to bring the product to their cities.

“It has the potential to really snowball throughout the region,” Simons said.

EasyPark allows drivers to pay for parking without having to pay a meter. The devices are turned on to the appropriate city and zone a driver is parking in and can be placed on dashboards or on rearview mirrors.

Simons’ understanding is that Portsmouth will also charge $19.95 for their transponders. He said he has recommended, for consistency, that the city also uses the same incentive as Dover and offers $10 worth of free parking.

There is also a $1 per month service fee for the device. Reloading fees are $2.95 for up to $50; $3.45 for $75 and $3.95 for $100. Reloads can be completed online with a credit or debit card.